Learning Anew
by ResplendentQuetzal
Summary: Zoro loses his memory after fighting to save Nami. M for violence and potential Lemons. I promise the story will be better than the summary XD
1. Prologue: The Contest Z

Okay, first attempt at something more than a couple of chapters long which has *gasp* a plot. So first, I am publishing this now otherwise I will get distracted about halfway through and never finish and then get annoyed that I left it. Next, I don't really sleep so all my writing is done by hand in the little notebook by my bed and consequently I need to type it all up, which to be honest is a pain in the arse and takes me ages to do so apologies, I don't update that often. Also the first two (short) chapters are already written so will get them computerised A.S.A.P..

Oh, yeah, and my Zoro and Nami aren't really that true to character. Don't like it, don't read it.

And same applies if you don't like the pairing.

All that aside, enjoy =]

**Prologue  
****The Contest  
****Zoro's P.O.V.**

I slammed my tankard down on the table, hearing the dull sound resound through the wood. "Fifteen," I said, wiping the drops of escaped sake from the corner of my mouth as I watched Nami's vessel join mine. She offered me a smirk,  
"Room spinning yet Zoro?" She asked, glee in her voice at what she though would be a victory. After Whiskey Peak, Nami and I had held several other drinking contests, as she often boasted about how she could out drink any man yet ignored my point that her victory didn't count, as I had decided to stop and keep my wits about me, sensing the impending fight. So far each attempt at settling the dispute had failed as we always ran out of money before deciding a victor. But tonight was different. I'd just rid the bar of some unwelcome customers and earned us a night of drinks on the house, though from the look on the bartender's face, he hadn't realised the implications of his words. I reached for my next tankard and downed it's contents too, still feeling level headed and confident, where as my nakama was starting to slouch ever so slightly sideways. For once, she hadn't involved money or gambled – this was all about pride and hell no was I going to lose to her. It was a simple matter of waiting it out and seventeen drinks later I got the result I had been waiting for when Nami's head joined her empty mugs on the table. I laughed, wishing so was still conscious so I could boast and rub salt in her well deserved wounds. Regardless, I stood to leave, pulling one of her arms around my shoulder and holding her wrist in place, using my other hand to support her torso as I began to haul her back to the ship.

**To be continued…**


	2. Chapter 1: Cornered Z

Hopefully this should turn out to be longer than the prologue XD

**Chapter 1  
Cornered  
Zoro's P.O.V.**

The streets were swallowed in an inky blackness, drowning the flickering light of the infrequent lamps. Something didn't feel right. I wasn't sure what exactly, just something. Following my instincts I lowered Nami to the ground and sat her up, propped against a wall and took a defensive stance in front of her. I cursed myself for being so careless. We were alone, one of us out cold and the other barely able to walk in a straight line. A malicious laughter came from the shadows and I turned to face it, seeing an arrow formation of five people emerge from the dark. The five of the six people I'd kicked out of the bar earlier that evening. Cold realisation swept through me, pushing out the warm glow of the alcohol.  
"Well, well," began the leader with a sinister smile, "I come out to teach an arsehole a lesson and find myself some entertainment alongside him." He and his companions gave a menacing chuckle which resounded of the wall, filling my mind with danger.  
"I'll kill you if you touch her…" I growled, but they only laughed all the harder. They knew something I didn't and I could only watch in horror as the front-man pulled out a pistol. I had to options: dodge the shots and pray that none of them hit Nami, either directly or as a ricochet, or grab her and run. For some reason my attackers were still laughing, prompting me to make a getaway. I scooped my nakama up into my arms and cradled her close to my chest but froze in horror. A silent breath caressed the back of my neck. No weapons. No free hands. I felt failure wash over my as something solid collided with the back of my head, the first strike sending me to my knees and igniting an explosion behind my eyes. I looked down to the unconscious navigator, "I'm sorry," I whispered as the second strike bought with is blackness.

I coughed back to conciousness, blood leaking from my mouth, feeling bruises coating my ribs and accute stabbing in my chest and skull. _Nami_. I had to find her. It was still dark and the moon and stars looked to be in the same place, meaning it could only have been minutes since the bastards knocked me out and apparently kicked the shit out of me too. I dragged myself upright and listened for anything that might tell me where they had taken her. Silence. A scream. Her scream. I charged towards it, relieved to have a destination and to know that she was alive but horrified at whatever it was which as made her cry out. I tore past the blur of buildings and didn't slow when I saw my destination, but rather hit the door at full speed, feeling it shatter under the impact. The idiots had left me with my swords and in such a small house it wouldn't take me long to find them, but the laboured nervous breathing had already given away their location in the adjoining room.  
"Zoro!" I heard her shout, voice strained with fear, followed by a sharp slap resounding around the room as I entered, all three swords draw, infuriated by what I saw – five sat around the room drinking and smoking, the sixth on top of Nami, pinning her down, having already stripped her of her dress. Tears streamed down her face and I felt pure rage building inside me.  
"Get off of her," I hissed and the rat scurried over to his gun, not having time to even wrap his finger around the trigger as I descended on him, before making equally light work of his companion. I noticed the pool of black cloth on the floor and passed it to my nakama, trying not to stare, then helping her stand after she had re-dressed. Without warning she threw her arms around my neck and sobbed into my chest, each breath coming as a heaving gasp. Unsure, I wrapped my arms around her waist and returned the embrace. "I'm sorry," I whispered, my own voice hoarse, "I'm so sorry Nami. I should never have let that happen to you." I felt a lone tear of relief brush down my cheek, surprising me slightly but also forcing me to accept an unwelcome truth – I had been scared. Not of the men and their weapons, not of injuries, but of losing my nakama. Of losing Nami. Maybe because I felt responsible for not defending her when she was unable to defend herself. Maybe it was because the whole situation had been my fault, but out of all of the crew I still couldn't believe it was her I had endangered. The others could all fight for themselves, but she couldn't. And why was I only realising this now? I didn't understand these emotions flowing through me so just pushed them to the back of my mind and rather focused on getting us back to the Going Merry. Slowing, I eased myself out of her grasp and supported her in the same position as earlier. She managed to take most of her weight herself but still held onto me for the comfort another person provides, as I did with her, squeezing her wrist on occasion to check she was really there and safe.

"Nami! Zoro!" Cried Luffy, running over to us. I passed the woman over to him and allowing the pain to blossom through my head and torso.  
"Chopper!" Nami called out weakly, "Zoro's hurt, help him, please." I felt the ground sway beneath me, or was it me that swayed? Chopped was in strong point, though I swear I hadn't seen the change take place. He held me up, causing me to hiss as his hands made contact with my ribs.  
"Gah, your head Zoro, what happened?" He asked. The panic in his voice didn't bode well.  
"Er, someone… hit me… with… with something," I mumbled, my mouth stiff and reluctant to function, added to the pounding of blood in my ears which seemed to drown out all else. Chopper gasped and I felt my feet leave the ground as again, the world around me disappeared.

**To be continued...**

And sorry about the plot holes.


	3. Chapter 2: Coming Round N

Sorry, it's a short one again. And it could be a few weeks before I get the next chapter up but I'll try my best :D And maybe get round to finishing the LuffyxVivi story I started months ago… *sigh*

Please review after!!

**Chapter 2  
Coming Round  
Nami's P.O.V.**

Three hundred and forty-five thousand, six hundred seconds. Five thousand, seven hundred and sixty minutes. Ninety-six hours. Four days.

That was how long it had been since Zoro and I had begun that stupid drinking contest. How long it had been since he had last been concious. I blamed myself for this. If I handn't let myself pass out, if I had just admitted defeat, maybe I could have fought along side him and he would not be here in the infirmary now, with twelve stitches in the back of his head, a drip in his arm and bandaging around his chest. If.  
But I couldn't turn back the clock, I could only pray that he would recover. When he found me he had told me he was sorry and despite how hard I tried , I couldn't find the breath to tell him I didn't blame him, or even to thank him. I had been so scared. I had come around to a slap across the face and stinging cheeks from previous blows. He was straddling me, leaning down to my face, his sadistic smile all I could see,  
"I'm going to have a little bit of fun with you," he leered, "and then I'm going to kill you." I was trapped, weaponless and defenceless, knowing there was a gun just inches from my head. And worse, I was alone. I had no idea what had happened to Zoro or what the bastards had done to him, knowing there was no way he was in a condition to fight. And then he was there, and I felt safe. But now he was the one paying the price.  
"Nami, staying here like this isn't good for you, you really should try and take a break for a while." I shook my head stubbonly and in silence. Usopp sighed before leaving me again, knowing that an argument would do no good. Sanji had already tried that. Robin had tried persuasion but in the end, both had failed. I was responsible for this and I wasn't about to leave him. It was strange, I'd seen him injured before and I had been saved by him before too, but somehow, this time was different. I guess I had never felt so close to death as I did and that moment and despite all he had suffered, he'd never stayed unconcious for days like this. I had always had one of my nakama with me to protect me until that time and I couldn't believe after all the injuries he had sustained, it was a cowardly blow from behind which had left him this way. He hated people attacking from behind. The object had cut through his scalp and down to the bone, severing blood vessels and the impact had caused a fissure in his skull, meaning there was a chance of brain damage. Not to mention one of the several broken ribs had punctured his left lung. It was nothing short of a miracle that he had found the strength to find and fight for me, let alone carry me back through the town. I pressed my palm to his forehead, noting it was slightly cooler than earlier. And he had done all that for me.

The door to the infirmary opened and confident footsteps made their way over to my side,  
"Hey Nami," said Luffy as he crouched down next to me, "How's he doing?" he asked, sounding more interested than concerned. I just nodded, not really feeling like speaking. "Good. You know, he would probably feel insulted if he saw you worrying like this," he continued, turning to me with a grin. It didn't make me smile but it did lessen my frown, "Zoro's strong. He'll be better soon." I just nodded again. I knew Luffy was right, he had to be, but for every moment our swordsman's eyes stayed closed reminded me just how much damage he had taken for me and just how strong he would need to be. All that said, our captain stoop again, placing a brief comforting hand on my shoulder before leaving. I gave a small sigh and raised a had to brush a strand of hair from Zoro's face, but was stopped in my tracks. I'd heard a groan. I looked around. We were definitely the only two in the room and I knew I hadn't imaged it.  
"Zoro?" I asked weakly, finding my voice again as I waited for a response. None came. I cupped his face in my hand and turned him to face me,  
"Zoro!" I pressed further. Another small noise and his eyelids twitched slightly, before prising themselves apart. He blinked, dazed as his gaze drifted around the room before focusing on me.  
"Zoro?" I tried again. Something was wrong here. Really wrong. "Please Zoro, talk to me," I begged.

He took a breath to speak,

"Who are you?"

**To be continued…**


	4. Chapter 3: Questions & Answers N

Thanks to everyone who's added it to their story alerts / favourite stories. Nice to know people like it :)

Okay, I fail at long chapters. I'll go for quantity over quality.

Oh, and this one's a bit rough, sorry :'( I needed to find a way link the previous chapter to the next one and this was all I could come up with. Sorry again.

And please review! The one I have so far is getting lonely…

**Chapter 3  
Questions & Answers  
Nami's P.O.V.**

I tucked my knees up to my chin before burying my face in them, feeling them become damp with silent tears. I'd never really taken responsibility for my actions before but now guilt burned through me, hollowing me out until I was naught but a void. I didn't know how bad the damage was, I'd fled the room in barely masked horror as soon as Chopper arrived. I had done that to him.

And then there was that little word, 'if' again. What if he couldn't remember anything about the crew? Or worse himself? What if he changed and wasn't our Zoro anymore? A wave of panic crashed over me - what if he had forgotten his dream? The one thing he had lived and breathed for? I shook slightly, only to have a sharp knock at the door snap me out of my reverie.  
"Come in," I called hoarsely, quickly brushing the damp lines from my cheeks and dragging up a smile. It was Robin. Concern etched itself across her face as she saw me,  
"Nami, it's not as bad as you think. He wants to see you too, and Chopper's still there so he can explain everything," she cooed, taking my hand in hers, comforting me.  
"Why on earth does he want to see me?" I mumbled down into my lap, refusing to lift my face to my nakama.  
"Because he's worried about you."  
"What? Why?" My head snapped up in angry surprise. "He's lost his memory and he's worried about _me_? Can't he worry about himself for once? And _I_ did this to _him_!" I hissed, not quite sure why I had reacted the way I had. Robin just shook her head at me.  
"No, you didn't, but regardless, you should still go and see him. He wants to talk to you."  
I took a few minutes to fully calm down from my unexpected outburst, before nodding meekly. I guess I owed him this at least.

-----------

Chopper was changing Zoro's bandages as I entered the infirmary, granting me a glimpse of the purple and yellow bruises that had exploded across his skin, and the fresh scar where our little doctor had had to operate. Neither notices my presence until Chopper finished his work and turned for his medical bag, which happened to be placed inconveniently next to the door,  
"Er, Nami," he greeted me, clearly uncomfortable. He glanced over to his patient, who was also looking this way, and then back to me, "Do you want me to, uh, explain what's happened or, um, rather I just, you know, you two…?" He trailed off, leaving me with two options I didn't really want. I chewed my lip silently, thinking how I would rather be back in my room, on my bed, hiding.  
"Ah, I think I can explain it all Chopper. And thanks." I gave a short relieved sigh as my green haired nakama made the decision for me, noticing how the little reindeer cut out his usual 'don't thank me' act as he scurried out of the room. I cautiously made my way over to the chair next to the bed and perched there, totally unsure what to do or say. He was lying on his right side, facing outwards. The covers were pooled at his middle, fully exposing the dressing around his torso – a painful reminder of why he was sleeping here rather than in his usual spot on deck. Neither of us spoke, and a silence grew around us, not a tense awkward one, but a soft, warm aura, in which we both knew the other had something to say but words couldn't sum it up right but I tried nonetheless,  
"So, what did Chopper say about… it?" I asked, unable to bring myself to say his condition. He tipped his head back and closed his eyes, understanding. Even though the verbal barrier had been broken, the ambiance remained.  
"It should only be temporary, a couple of weeks at most. And it's not like I've forgotten everything," he said with what would have been a shrug if he were better able to move. For once I was happy to hear the nonchalant tone which tainted his voice, taking it as a confirmation that he was still the same person with the same attitude issues. I nodded, not smiling but no longer frowning. I wanted to ask him what he remembered, about the crew, our journeys, who he was. What he remembered about me. _No!_ I gasped mentally. Not the last one. That I would keep to myself. Ah, so much I wanted to know but at the same time, I wondered if I would like what I found out. Silence returned. I tucked my knees back up to my chin again. I wasn't waiting for him to talk, and neither was he for me.

I heard the soft shifting of fabric beside me as Zoro sat up, failing to mask the grimace on his face, before leaning back against the wall and taking a deep, steadying breath.  
"I can't remember your name, I can't remember how I met you, but when I look at you, I don't see a stranger – I see someone I want to protect. The same way I knew I could trust Luffy and the cook irritates me. But the thing is, with the others, it's just that, just the feelings they evoke in me but there's so much more about you. I can picture you laughing in the sun, and I can hear the sound. I know I need to protect you because you're important to me and yet there's something else I can't define, a kind of regret and I don't know why. Then when you ran out of the room, I thought it might have been because I hurt you in some way, you looked so scared but that can't be it, because you're here now." He flicked his eyes open and locked them with mine, "And you want to be." I said nothing, just staring open mouthed. This couldn't be good. This couldn't be Zoro. Sure, like Luffy he had his profound moments but this? Deep? I'd always thought of him as someone base, saying what they thought the moment it entered her head but I wanted to believe that was they way he had always been. I did believe it. I'd just never realised it before, never thought it possible. But I hoped he was speaking his mind again now, because one little phrase kept echoing around in my head: "_You're important to me._" I wanted to know more, and the frustrating this was that he probably knew about as much as I did. How long? Why hadn't he told me? So many things would have to wait until his memory returned. I knew etiquette was pressing me into saying something more substantial but somehow, no matter what instructions my brain sent to my mouth, my lips refused to comply. So I sat gaping like a cod fish. Smooth.

He tipped his head to the side and scratched it, "Well, this sucks," he said simply, "I can't even remember enough to have a guess at what I shouldn't have said this time." He dropped his eyes down and gave an exasperated sigh, hopelessness starting to tug at his features, before he looked up and gave me a small, apologetic smile.  
"You said I was important to you. More so than the others?" I stammered.  
"Yeah." The confused look was back, "Didn't you know?"  
"No." The word came out as little more than a breath, but was still substantial enough to be heard.  
"I've never told you, have I? Why not?" He asked, looking as though he was trying to work out the meaning behind life itself but then again, in a way he was, he was working out his own life and I was pretty damn sure my cluelessness wasn't helping. But this still didn't stop the irritation rising is response to such an idiotic question.  
"How the hell am I supposed to know?" I snapped back.  
"Oi oi, calm down woman," he laughed. Evidently he still found enjoyment in my anger. "Anyway, we can work this out later," he finished with a yawn, tilting his head back to rest on the wall and folding his arms across his chest. Moments later his eyes began shifting unconsciously under their lids as I made my silent exit.

"_**We **__can work this out…"_

**To be continued...**


	5. Inset: Some Musings Z

Again a big thank you to everyone who has reviewed this and/or added it to their story alerts, or even favourite stories in a couple of cases :)

Little bit about this installment… I got a pretty impressive writer's block and got fed up of wasting my paper so I thought I'd take a break and do a writing equivalent of a doodle and then realised that with some modifications I could fit it into this, so voila!

Enjoy!

Oh, and as pointed out by AlleluiaElizabeth, I've now tried to sort out the dialogue layout and have fixed most of the typos I didn't even realise existed, so hope it's easier to read for guys now :)

**Inset  
Some Musings  
Zoro's P.O.V.**

I sat on deck, leaning against the rails as I had found myself doing for the last few days for no real reason I could think of. Or remember. Yes, that was more appropriate. Damned amnesia.

Luffy had shown me a cupboard with weight and general exercise equipment in it, and somehow I had known exactly what to do with them. My swords too, wielding them had felt as natural as breathing. I'd also managed to defend myself with just my bare fists after the ero-cook tried to attack me, so at least my body knew what it was doing, even if my mind didn't. Actually, that was a slight lie – there were three main things I could remember. One, my swords were the more precious than anything else in the world to me and the white one specifically had a greater importance than I was currently able understand. Two, this ship and the crew on it also meant more to me than life itself. Even the one with the retarded eyebrow. Three, the red haired woman, Nami, the way I felt about her was something more than what I felt for the rest of my nakama and it scared me to put a name to this emotion. Analysing the way I felt about her never ceased to confuse me. She and her greed could piss me off like nothing else on this planet, but when we argued it wasn't just aggression and irritation, it was passionate too. It never failed to take my breath away when she was in that state – eyes burning, her face flushed pink and standing so proud and defiant. Then there was the way that even though I complained about her orders, I would always follow them through and when it came to blows, I knew I would never, could never, strike her back as I would had it been any other member of the crew.

And then the many ways in which we complimented each other. When a problem arose, I took the first possible solution whereas she would think things through to find the best one. I lived for the fight yet she held full on violence as nothing but a last resort. Her world revolved around money, which to me was just a means to get food and sake. She was our navigator and I was always lost. I was strong and yet she was oh so fragile. Then the last little thing I knew I would never reveal to anyone: our hair. Red and green, complimentary colours, as though it was in our genes that we should be together.

Nami…


	6. Chapter 4: Inner Conflicts N

Haven't really got anything to say this time… Except maybe the plot is starting to crumble. Time for the literary super-glue…

**Chapter 4  
Inner Conflicts  
Nami's P.O.V.**

I shivered beneath my blanket, checking the log pose again in my paranoia. I had always hated night watch – the monotony, the boredom, the cold. Except now it was even worse, because in the dark, on my own was the perfect time to think and thinking was a dangerous thing nowadays. It was all his fault. He had told me how much he cared about me and then gone about life as normal, as if our conversation that night had never even happened. All be it after having normal explained to him.

He had just waltzed up to and opened the door I had locked my feelings for him behind, leaving them to tumble out and rebound around my head. I had been attracted to him the moment I saw him – what girl wouldn't be? Those muscles, the chiseled face and the dark, mysterious expression it often wore, not to mention the confidence and power which seemed to radiate from him. I guess even the green hair had its own appeal and after a time, lust grew into affection. I loved the way he would go out of his way to protect me, even though it would earn him unnecessary wounds, either from his opponent or Sanji. I thought back to Arabasta, the only other time I'd acknowledged the way I felt about him. Seeing him almost sliced apart by Mr.1, I'd thought I had lost him and yet he still found the strength and energy to carry me through the city after minimal whining on my part. It wasn't because it pained me to walk, it was because I had needed to feel close to him, checking we were both really still there and alive. But still, feeling his muscles moving beneath me, his smell intoxicating as I buried my head in his neck, I had let myself lust over what it would be like to cling to him in a very different way. That night after the feast, I wanted nothing more to follow my the direction my heart was calling me in and climb into his bed with him, but I knew I couldn't.

But saying it like that made it sound like I just wanted him for sex, and that wasn't it. _See,_ my inner voice chided me, _you've just gone and confused yourself all over again_. I guess I had always just wanted to know he cared, but I needed to stop with this. I was going to drive myself insane if I kept following this train of thought. I had two options – shut the door again and ductape over the lock or talk to him about it. Logic told me to chose the first, it would be easiest for everyone, but there was still that part of me which dared to dream of me and him together, and I knew that this was the part of me I would inevitably listen to. Now I just needed to work out what the hell I was actually going to say or do. Leaving it a day or two to come up with a plan wouldn't hurt.

I returned to my stargazing, distracting myself by finding shapes and patterns between the shining light.  
A bird.  
Some trees.  
A couple holding hands.  
Wait, a couple? I gave an exasperated sigh. This was hopeless. So absorbed was I in my self-reprimanding I didn't notice somebody walk out onto the deck below me.  
"Oi, Nami?" Called out a deep voice, resonating straight to my heart, "Are you keeping watch or what?"  
"Of course I'm keeping watch, baka. I just didn't do anything because I knew it was you," I lied over the edge of the tub.  
"Sure," was the sarcastic reply I received. I watched with more than mild curiosity as he put aside his weights and climbed up the mast, before dropping down besides me, "We need to talk," he said. His mood had changed so dramatically in the last few seconds from his usual arrogant front to the thoughtful man I had seen the night he had regained consciousness.  
"Everything about you is confusing me. The only way we really seem to communicate is through orders, arguments and criticisms but when we do it's like your body and eyes are telling me something different to your voice. You whinge and moan and sure, it annoys me, but it should annoy me so much more and then there's the way you always look so…" He waved his hand vaguely in the air, as though trying to conjure up the word he was looking for, "Ah, I dunno. Kind of like you want it to be me who answer all of your pleads and solves all your problems. Now tell me, am I seeing what I want to see or is that really the way things are?"  
He looked up, his gaze locking forcibly with mine, his eyes hiding a plea he wouldn't put into words. I lowered my gaze to my lap, unsure, only to have strong finges clamp on my chin an draw my face back level with his. He looked angry but for such a short amount of time I had to wonder if it was something my mind had made up, before his features softened apologetically and the hand losened its grip. A thumb traced lightly across my jaw before dropping away completely.  
"I need an answer Nami. I can't remember how to ignore you anymore."

His face, his smell, those eyes, so much to take in that I didn't know how to look away. He wasn't asking if I wanted him to help me all the time, he was asking if his feelings were requited. _Yes! _I wanted to say. So badly. I wanted to know what it felt like to care and be cared about, to feel what it would be like to know he was always going to be there for me, whenever and wherever. To see him smile at me and actually let that warm fuzziness spread through me. But for somehow these reason still couldn't shut up that logical little bitch inside of me. _What will happen to the crew if it all goes wrong? Will you still be able to work together? Luffy won't stand to lose either of you. And Sanji. So what you don't want him as a lover, you still love him, and that would be like sticking a dagger through his heart. He's a git for asking you this, after all, if you say 'no' it will probably drive you apart too._

_SHUT UP!! _I yelled back at her.I chewed my lip and I knew the battle was showing in my eyes. I heard my companion give a short, understanding sigh. He lifted his hand again, this time bringing it to rest gently on my chest, above my heart. He looked down to his hand, relieving the pressure of his stare.

"What is this saying?" He asked, his voice so low and soft it was barely audible. I couldn't lie to him. Not now. I would be lying to myself, too, but words wouldn't cover all the things I wanted to tell him. Instead I laced my fingers through his, bringing his hand to my lips for a short moment. Such a small gesture I hoped would convey so much – that yes, yes from the bottom of my heart, but my heart wasn't the only thing controlling me. I could only hope this would enough for him, for now at least.

**To be continued...**


End file.
